MG HS compred with SsangYong Korando and Hyundai Tucson

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Buyers are snapping up Chinese cars, attracted by sharp prices. We pit the new MG HS against an established favourite and another newcomer.

Its compact MG3 hatchback is second only to Toyota’s Yaris on the baby car sales charts and the new MG HS aims to do the same in the popular medium-sized SUV market.

Hyundai made the same journey 30 years ago, starting out as a frugal choice for fringe buyers. Now its Tucson SUV ranks alongside the likes of Toyota’s RAV4 and the Mazda CX-5 as one of the strongest cars in its class.

SsangYong hopes to follow a similar road.

The smaller South Korean marque is bouncing back with fresh metal including a Tucson-rivalling Korando that could put it on the path to success.

The Tucson is a known quantity, forming a baseline for our comparison. On sale since 2015, the mid-sized SUV is a solid choice if not quite the class benchmark. From $31,340 in basic Active form with an automatic transmission, the Tucson is at the affordable end of the brand-name SUV spectrum.

Reasonably well-equipped, the Hyundai rides on 17-inch alloys, driving the front wheels with a 2.0-litre non-turbo engine that needs to be worked hard to produce 122kW and 205Nm.

Hyundai customers are supported by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is effectively the industry standard, while servicing for five years costs $1530 if prepaid.

An official fuel figure of 7.9 litres per 100 kilometres is middle-of-the-road, as is a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a reversing camera.

Camera IconThe Tucson is reaching the end of its life cycle but remains one of the best driving SUVs on the market. Credit: Supplied, Thomas Wielecki.

Safety gear includes six airbags, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, but more advanced tech is reserved for high-grade models. Forget about smart keys, sat nav, climate control, a powered tailgate or leather trim at this price.

As the oldest car here, the Tucson’s cabin looks dated. A small driver display, basic cloth trim and entry-level interior plastics limit appeal for those with an eye for the finer things.

But it’s the best-proportioned car on the outside, with a squeak-free cabin that is well-assembled.

Camera IconThe cabin is well put together, if lacking some of the polish of mainstream rivals. Credit: Supplied, Thomas Wielecki.

It also has the best ergonomics, with a superior range of steering adjustment to help drivers of all sizes get comfortable. Locally-tuned suspension soaks up bumps better than the SsangYong or MG while resisting body roll to maintain an impressive degree of poise. Confidence-inspiring brakes, predictable steering and a willing if noisy motor also work in its favour.

Hyundai’s six-speed auto is the pick of this bunch, choosing the right gears more often than its rivals. It also wins points as the only car with a full-size spare.

Priced from $28,990 drive-away in entry-level EX form or $30,990 drive-away for the mid-grade ELX tested here, the SsangYong brings toys you won’t find in big-name brands at this price. It has most of the stuff missing from the Tucson — a turbo engine, smart keys, front parking sensors, 18-inch wheels, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert and more.

You get a larger 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and surprisingly effective lane keeping assistance. ANCAP assessed the Korando in October 2019, awarding it the same five stars as the MG and Tucson. SsangYong’s seven-year warranty (with roadside assistance and capped price servicing) is a strong point, though it is a little

dearer than the Hyundai at $295 per visit, or $1475 for five years. Settling into the driver’s seat presents you with premium materials and design treading tricky territory between the eye-catching and overwrought.

But there is plenty of space in the front and rear and the boot is particularly accommodating. Back-seat passengers are unlikely to celebrate the lack of a rear armrest.

Up front, the driver hangs on to a large and oddly-profiled steering wheel.

Initial turn-in response is sluggish, and soft suspension soaks up the first moment of steering input before the car starts to change direction.

While the suspension isn’t as sorted as the Tucson, the Ssangyong’s 1.5-litre turbo engine and its punchy 120kW/280Nm make shorter work of hills and overtaking.

Superior 7.7L/100km claimed fuel economy also works in its favour.

MG HS

While the bluff and angular Korando cuts an unfamiliar figure on the road, the MG HS looks instantly familiar. That might be because its design team appropriated choice elements from popular models ranging from Mazda to Mercedes — the chrome grille flowing into the tear ducts of eye-like headlamps is reminiscent of Mazda’s current look.

It works, though. The MG is attractive inside and out.

Camera IconThere are hints of Mazda in the styling of the MG. Credit: Supplied, Thomas Wielecki.

The cabin leans on established brands with Audi-like spherical air vents, a BMW-borrowed trapezoidal touchscreen surround and VW-esque flat-bottomed steering wheel with shift paddles. There’s even a bright red “Super Sport” button in the style of Ferrari or Alfa Romeo.

Priced from $30,900 drive-away in entry-level Vibe trim or $34,790 for the Excite tested here, the MG presents well on first impression. There are plenty of toys to play with, including a digital driver display, oversized 10.1-inch central touchscreen, power tailgate, multi-coloured mood lighting, front and rear USB connections and leather seats with power driver adjustment. The centre console is cooled and the rear armrest has cupholders and a storage bin.

Five-star safety is supported by driver aids including active cruise control, traffic jam assistance, blind-spot detection and more. In short, you will not get more car for the money.

MG’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty is attractive, though capped price servicing is not available and MG couldn’t tell us how much the first three services would cost.

You sit high on firm seats and the steering wheel doesn’t quite move far enough to find perfect posture. Some of the plastics creak, and leather-look trim at the bottom of its touchscreen was noticeably wonky.

That big screen looks pretty, but there’s no volume knob and you need to go through the display to adjust the cabin temperature or fan speed.

MG Pilot beeps, bongs and chimes like a bored parrot squawking on your shoulder (while working with less finesse than rival driver aids) and the digital dash has an infuriating tendency to swap its speed readout for the cruise control’s previous velocity.

The feather-light steering offers little road feel, the suspension is the noisiest of the three and its ride feels brittle over sharp bumps.

We also felt the transmission needs better software — sometimes it hunts for the right gear, sometimes it resolutely refuses to drop a ratio.

An occasionally thumpy shift from the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox disappoints, as does a somewhat coarse 1.5-litre turbo engine with 119kW and 250Nm outputs. It’s also the only one of the trio you cannot tow with, limiting weekend flexibility.

Impressive in the showroom, the MG frustrates in the real world. It requires more polish to compete with the best in class. SsangYong’s effort is more convincing. It’s spacious, safe and better to drive than the MG. The Hyundai may be lacking some goodies, but it’s the most complete all-rounder.